Arena Profile: Leif Babin

Leif Babin is a highly decorated U.S. Navy SEAL officer and combat veteran that deployed three times to Iraq earning a Silver Star, two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. Leif is a native of Southeast Texas and a 1998 U.S. Naval Academy graduate. As a SEAL Platoon Commander during a historic combat deployment to Ar Ramadi, Iraq in 2006, he led some of the heaviest, sustained urban combat operations in the history of the SEAL Teams. Leif then served as the primary leadership instructor for all SEAL Officers graduating from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training where he reshaped SEAL leadership instruction based on his combat experience. As Operations Officer for a SEAL Team, Leif led a 500-personnel Naval Special Warfare Squadron. In 2009, he again deployed to Ramadi, Iraq, where he witnessed first-hand the miraculous improvements in security and prosperity that he helped to bring about with the 1st Armored Division three years previously. Additionally, Leif served as Executive Officer, second in command, of a SEAL Team. Prior to SEAL training, Leif served as a division officer on a U.S. Navy Destroyer and a U.S. Navy Frigate. In July 2011, Leif left active duty and launched Echelon Front LLC to educate, train, and inspire leaders and organizations through SEAL leadership principals and strategies he learned on the front lines of battle. Leif has spoken out on U.S. military strategy and foreign policy on behalf of many of America’s combat troops. His editorials have been published in the Wall Street Journal and he has appeared on a variety of television news and radio programs. Leif lives in New York City and remains a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve.

Leif Babin 's Recent Discussions

Condi Rice for VP?

Should Mitt Romney select Condoleezza Rice as his vice-presidential pick, the results would likely illicit rousing approval from Democrats.

A Romney-Rice GOP ticket would greatly increase the president's chances of reelection in November. Her selection as VP would in no way improve voter turnout in Romney's favor among African-Americans and women. Instead, it would provide a clear link to the continuation of Bush Administration policies, including serious foreign policy missteps that led to a nuclear North Korea, Iran on the verge of nuclear weapons, and the rise of Islamic extremism - empowered through democratic elections - as a major political force.

This continuity between Romney and Bush plays directly into the Democrats talking points and would no doubt be cause for serious celebration by the Obama Reelection Campaign.

Wise or unwise, this is an incredible turn of events. From the energy and enthusiasm surrounding the president only a few short years ago, the Democrats are now in full retreat. This is telling and bodes ill for the president's reelection campaign.

What the press calls a "kill list" is really just a rules of engagement issue. This "kill list" is simply those particular individuals that have been officially designated as "hostile" and therefore lethal force is authorized against them.

In the wars of past centuries, U.S. rules of engagement allowed us to designate all military personnel of an enemy nation "hostile." They could then be engaged on sight, whether armed, unarmed, attacking or retreating. But the enemies we are currently fighting (in what was the "Global War on Terror" under President Bush, and is now "Overseas Contingency Operations" under President Obama) are not uniformed military personnel. They are all civilians. And though they are enemy combatants, they purposely blend in amongst the civilian populace to make it more difficult to be distinguished and therefore targeted.

All this being said, in the past the designation of a particular individual as hostile was typically delegated to the office of Secretary of Defense. It is unusual, and makes timely approval much more difficult, if the president personally makes these determinations on particular individuals. The ideal Commander-in-Chief would delegate this responsibility to his forward commanders, allow them to make the decisions and quickly respond to threats, and hold them accountable for successes and failures.

More POLITICO Arena

About the Arena

The Arena is a cross-party, cross-discipline forum for intelligent and lively conversation about political and policy issues. Contributors have been selected by POLITICO staff and editors. David Mark, Arena's moderator, is a Senior Editor at POLITICO. Each morning, POLITICO sends a question based on that day's news to all contributors.